The entrepreneur-in-residence would also assist with that initiative, which involves building close ties with the technology industry.

The FDA's associate center director for digital health Bakul Patel told CNBC that he's on "cloud nine" with how quickly this particular program is evolving. Patel says he's been thinking about this idea for a fast-track for a while, but new commissioner Scott Gottlieb made it a priority.

Patel said his team is also looking to hire 13 people in the coming months.

"I'm trying to recruit people who are tech-savvy and also business-savvy," he said. "They need to understand what it takes to bring products to market and understand where the industry is headed."

This story has been updated to clarify that the entrepreneur-in-residence is its first for digital health.